History

Following the visits by Spanish vessels in the 1500s,
contact with European ships became frequent in the late 18th and early
19th century. From the 1840s onwards beachcombers, traders and then missonaries
became residents on several atolls, influencing the life of the Marshallese
population.

General

A series of short essays
on various aspects of Marshallese archaeology and history. These sketches
had originally been written as articles for the Marshall Islands
Journal. They appeared in book form in 1993 and are here reproduced
with various additions.

Ever since foreign
ships began visiting the islands, men came ashore to stay--some as deserters
and beachcombers, some as castaways, some as traders. This is a list
of those foreigners who came to the Marshall Islands to stay--at least
for a while

This series attempts
to furnish extracts of original historical sources and documents to
illustrate aspects of the Marshallese past. Contained are the texts
of treaties, original accounts of early visitors and so forth. A brief
introduction places each of the sources in context.

Events

Wake Atoll, even though
off the main shipping lines between Hawaii and the Philippines or HongKong
had been a navigation hazard in the nineteenth century, largely because
it was so low lying and thus hard to see, but also because it position
had often been incorrectly reported. This paper details the early European
history of the atoll and focuses on a shipwreck and the subsequent salvage
events.

Places

Germany bought the Marshall Islands off Spain in 1885.
It established a small administration, run first as a concession company
and later administered directly from Berlin. The main economic development
was the expansion of copra industry on the atolls and the commencement
of phosphate mining on Nauru.

Extensive private libraries
are rare in the tropical Pacific. This holds even more true for libraries
established during the late nineteenth century. There was only one such
library in entire Micronesia: the Joachim deBrum Library on Likiep.
This study describes the library and discusses its management over time,
including the challenges faced in conservation management.
[PDF document]

Context

Collection of cover
art of early twentieth century German colonial publications demonstrating
nationalistic colonial iconography.

Japanese Period (19141945)

Japan acquired the Marshall Islands, with the exception
of Nauru, during World War I. It established a larger administration which
continued the expansion of the copra industry, but also developed fishing
and handicraft. During World War II many atolls were developed into formidable
military bases.

Discussion of the British,
Italian and Japanese 8-inch Naval Guns and their Emplacements in Micronesia.
Featured are the guns at Betio, Tarawa, Kiribati; Wake I, Marshall Islands,
and Sapuk, Moen, Chuuk.

While Wake Island had been under US control since the
Spanish-American War of 1898, the rest of the Marshalls came under US
influence as a result of the Pacific War. Commencing in 1944 several atolls
were captured, with remainder coming under US control with the surrender
of the Japanese forces in September 1945.

Describes the history
and current condition of a B-24J-CO Liberator' bomber (serial ##42-41205)
which crash landed on 28 December 1943 in the lagoon off Majuro Island
('Laura'), Majuro Atoll. The plane belonged to the 431st Squadron, 11th
Bomb Group, VIIthArmy Air Force, then headquartered in Funafuti, Kiribati.
The crew was captured and disappeared in the days of the US assault
on Kwajalein in February 1944.

Describes the history
and current condition of a B-24D-145-CO 'Liberator' bomber (serial ##42-41205)
which crash landed on 2 January 1944 in the lagoon off Jab'u, Arno Atoll.
The plane belonged to the 98th Bomb Squadron, 11th Bomb Group, VIIthArmy
Air Force, then headquartered in Nukufetau, Kiribati. The crew was captured
and disappeared in the days of the US assault on Kwajalein in February
1944.

This paper outlines
the secondary use of external fuel tanks of a 1950s jet fighter aircraft.,
which can be found throughout the islands of Micronesia. Most of the
tanks are now used as water catchments. These drop tanks, are demonstrative
of issues of conservation management of cultural resources and the documentation
of historical events for which there is no other tangible evidence in
the Micronesian region, such as: the early development of military jet
aircraft; the military build-up during the Cold War; the US Air Force
involvement of the Korean War; the deployment of jet aircraft in Micronesia;
and the control of Micronesian waters by the US Navy.

History of the development
and operation of the Kwajalein Naval Base during WWII. Following the
capture of Kwajalein in February 1944, the atoll was used as a fleet
anchorage and naval base to carry out and support operations into the
Western Carolines

History of the development
and operation of the Majuro Naval Base during WWII. Following the capture
of Majuro in February 1944, the atoll was used as a fleet anchorage
and naval base to carry out and support operations into the Western
Carolines

History of the development
and operation of the Enewetok Naval Base during WWII. Following the
capture of Enewetok in February 1944, the atoll was used as a fleet
anchorage and naval base to carry out and support operations into the
Western Carolines

As a result of the post World War II rearrangement of
the former Mandates of the League of Nations, Micronesia, and with it
the Marshall Islands, became a Trust Territory administered by the USA
on behalf of the United Nations.

This paper outlines
the secondary use of external fuel tanks of a 1950s jet fighter aircraft.,
which can be found throughout the islands of Micronesia. Most of the
tanks are now used as water catchments. These drop tanks, are demonstrative
of issues of conservation management of cultural resources and the documentation
of historical events for which there is no other tangible evidence in
the Micronesian region, such as: the early development of military jet
aircraft; the military build-up during the Cold War; the US Air Force
involvement of the Korean War; the deployment of jet aircraft in Micronesia;
and the control of Micronesian waters by the US Navy.

Following a plebiscite the population of the Marshall
Islands preferred autonomy from the USA. In 1989 the Compact of Free Associaton
was signed which gave the Marshalls independence, while ensuring US government
funding of many of its programs.